Reserva nacional Mocho-Choshuenco, National reserve in Valdivia Province, Chile
Reserva Nacional Mocho-Choshuenco is a national reserve in Valdivia Province, Chile, protecting forests, lakes, and two volcanoes. It falls within the Los Ríos region and covers parts of the communes of Panguipulli and Futrono.
The reserve was established in 1994 to protect the forests, waterways, and wildlife of the area from human interference. It is part of a broader effort to safeguard the Valdivian rainforest ecosystem in southern Chile.
The reserve's five marked trails carry names drawn from the local forest and wildlife: El Puma (4 km), El Coligüe (4.6 km), El Carpintero (2.5 km), La Lenga (1.8 km) and Rumba del Buey (1.5 km). The names refer to the puma, the coligüe bamboo, the black woodpecker, the lenga tree and a local path name.
The main access point is the town of Choshuenco, reached by road along Lake Panguipulli, and bus services connect Panguipulli to the village several times a day. Volcano climbs require mountain experience and proper gear, while shorter forest trails are suitable for most visitors.
The two volcanoes are joined by a glacier, a detail easy to miss when viewing them from the reserve's lakes. The reserve also protects Andean fauna such as the puma, chilla fox and pudú, and birds including the mountain caracara and black woodpecker.
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